All He Needs
by Tru Mel Meiko Mei Ling
Summary: It's the anniversary Shadow joined G.U.N. but he doesn't need to go out and celebrate. All he needs is right in front of him.


_**A/N: Random Shadouge I wrote on the fly. If it doesn't make sense, it wasn't meant to. Just... a drabble.**_

OoO

_**All He Needs**_

OoO

"What did you say, Shadow?" An alluring ivory bat asked her companion. Her lucid turquoise eyes shifted over in his direction while she casually slipped a piece of fruit between her supple lips. The abyss-hued hedgehog paced back and forth along the carpet of their living room mumbling utterances to himself while nibbling on the tip of his gloved thumb. He was quite apprehensive and for good reason. He had put through an order to G.U.N.; the very heathens that took away what he once thought was of absolute preciousness to him who turned around and needed his help and employment, and was anxious for when it would be delivered.

Shadow had long past dealt with the fragmented mishaps of his selective past. Maria, the professor, the two most important icons in his supposed growing life on-board the ARK. He had accepted the probable memories of his conception being being fraudulent and manually misconstrued. All of that was placed behind him. His past remained past. His new present resided living with Rouge under temporary housing. Yet, she didn't seem to be in an y rush to be rid of him, nor was he in a hurry to leave her side.

The two of them were comrades, friends, co-workers, teammates and they always had the other's back. The idea of them being lovers was of anyone's guess. Neither of them would answer directly if asked. If Shadow was asked that question, like ht had been rather often, he would shrug and walk off. If Rouge were to be asked that question, she would always look in Shadow's direction before giving a wink to the asker.

The two of them had been through a multitude of mishaps and adventures and always returned to the other. They had many others to be a part of their team but in the end, there were only the two of them left. Together they battled, together they thrived and together they lived. And Shadow, nor Rouge, would want it any differently.

"Shadow?" Rouge tried again, calling to her friend. He didn't pause in his pacing and cast a glance in her direction. She sat perched atop the couch in the center of the room in an upright poise that pronounced proper posture. Her spread wings fanned her voluptuous frame with a light breeze while she feasted on a small bowl of strawberries, pineapples and dark cherries. When he didn't answer, she scooped up a piece of pineapple and tossed it at him, "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

"Sorry," he finally stopped. But instead of giving her direct eye contact, he crossed his arms over his chest and stared off into the distance ahead of him. Rouge didn't mind, He was always bemused like this.

"What did you just say?"

"The package that I ordered that takes 3 days to be delivered... I wondered if today has been the third day."

Rouge allowed a blink to transpire before giving Shadow an odd look. She appeared like that of a queen questioning her subject with a silent interrogation through her eyes alone. Shifting her weight to one side, she placed the bowl down on the couch, "Well, technically, it's already been three days."

"What?" Shadow wondered, darting his head in her direction. Casually, she tapped an elegant boot against the carpet and whisked a lock of hair out of her face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean today would have been the 3rd day for the equipment arrival but..."

"But what? Did they get the address wrong?"

"I doubt that"

"Is there some kind of delay I don't know about?"

"In a matter of speaking"

"What is it?"

"Look," she stated, pointing behind him towards a calender on the wall. Astounded, he turned to look behind him, Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he returned his vermilion orbs back to her, "What?"

"Ugh... Shadow...! I can't believe this! You're being awfully obtuse right now!"

"What?"

With a sigh, Rouge pushed herself up from the couch and headed his way. He watched her curiously and intently as she sauntered by him and halted in front of the calender. His eyes lingered on her momentarily before drifting upto the date she pointed at.

"Now, what's today's date?"

"The 20th. Why?"

"Look here," she gestured, trailing a finger up the column the date rested in. Shadow observed as her elegant digit fingered over the current word of the day. And then his heart sank, "It's...SATURDAY?"

"Yep. Sure is."

"But... why didn't I know this?"

"Maybe your excitement got the better of you?"

"This still should not have happened! I know the difference between the days, Rouge."

"Really? Then tell me what today is then."

"... It's... Saturday?" Shadow stated unsurely. To this, Rouge rolled her eyes and turned her back to Shadow. As she retreated back towards the couch, she looked at him over her shoulder, "Today is the anniversary of the first day you joined G.U.N. last year. … It was a Friday then, of course."

"With you... and Omega..."

"That's right."

Shadow's gaze traveled towards the carpet as memories and recollections of their former friend and teammate played through his mind. He had come along way because of the scarcity of individuals he had around to call friend. He also had accomplished much and discovered more because of the remarkable woman standing before him.

She knew exactly what he was thinking. Arms akimbo, she smiled gently at him, "So, wanna celebrate?"

Silence claimed Shadow as he deliberated this. She was asking if he wanted to go out someplace with her for this particular event. However, he didn't need to go out and experience the night life with her or otherwise. He didn't need anything extra because all he needed and wanted was right here before him, clad in elegance and a dazzling smile.

"No, " he answered walking over to her in that funny little way she had always found amusing, but never revealed. He glanced at her as he passed by and sat on the couch. Soon, Rouge found herself following suit. She watched Shadow pick up the 360 controller and press the Menu button to turn the system on. Nonchalantly, she picked up the bowl and curled into the cushions of the couch to get comfortable, "More Perfect Dark?"

"Nah, I stopped playing that last week. I hated the controls. But even with that, I still prefer Goldeneye."

"Left 4 Dead?"

"...No..."

"Halo?"

"No"

"Unreal Tournament? You love the Unreal series"

"Not playing it this time."

"Please don't say Rush'N Attack"

"Heh heh... no"

"Then what?"

"Hmph" A faint smirk feathered over his lips as he passed through a few screens to get to Sonic 1. He put in the debug code and set up 2 spikes on opposite sides of each other in the first level. A dark chuckle wavered from him as he controlled the sprite of Sonic to jump on one of them while carrying zero rings. Then he placed down the controller. "I love doing this..." he uttered. All Rouge could do was snicker lightly and then roll her eyes as the image, and sounds, of Sonic bouncing between the two spikes over and over and over again and "dying" repeatedly presented itself.

This was the way Shadow chose to celebrate an anniversary? By"killing" Sonic in an infinitely repeating loop?

"And being with you..." Shadow added. His eyes glided over to Rouge who returned his gaze with wide eyes, "Hmm?"

"You were thinking out-loud. Killing Sonic in a video game isn't the only way I'd want to spend this day."

"Oh?" She was all ears and twitched them in response.

"No. I already have you...ally..."

It was a solid statement she couldn't argue with. And he was right. "You got a problem with it?"

Shadow laughed lightly and smiled to her in a way only she had bore witness to, "No. I don't. And I never will as long as you don't."

"You don't see any here do you?" she smiled, grateful for the spark of acceptance in his eyes.

"No."

The two of them remained in the other's gaze for a few more seconds until the sound of Sonic "dying" seeped through the genuineness of their moment and snagged their attention.

"I could do this all day," Shadow announced and Rouge crossed her arms. "Some days, you have."

"Does it bother you?"

"A little late to be asking me that, isn't it?"

"...Hmm I suppose you're right."

"Hmph," Rouge mocked him. Then comfortably, she leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder. Ignoring the game, Shadow turned towards her and pulled her into his arms. He hugged her tenderly, with just enough tautness to let him know he cared deeply for her. They remained like that for minutes, just resting in the other's embrace. But soon the constant "dying" grated Shadow's nerves and he tried to move his foot to grab the controller and pull it over to himself. But both luckily, and unfortunately, for him in the same token, the 360 froze.

Again, like it had the night before, and the one before that and the one before that.

OoO

*The "ally" mentioning and the "What you got a problem with it?" "No, I don't." lines are nods to Sonic Battle when they said this to each other in regards to Shadow considering Rouge his ally.

*It's been years since I lasted posted anything fic-wise for these two... I still ship them, you know!

*Shadow liking the Unreal series is a nod to an old site I made for them where he loved playing Unreal games and other FPSes.

Mel


End file.
